


like fireflies

by captainegg



Series: Beautiful Stranger (Band AU) [2]
Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Alex is a fan, Alex realizes some things, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bands, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Alex, Denial of Feelings, Explicit Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, Glove Kink, Hair-pulling, Hand & Finger Kink, Hand Jobs, Henry is a drummer, Hook-Up, June/Nora on the side, M/M, Piercings, Semi-Public Sex, Smut, Tattoos, Top Henry, it's not just smut i promise, there's also some funny stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:35:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29100393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainegg/pseuds/captainegg
Summary: Alex and Henry see each other again.Featuring dark storage rooms, leather gloves, and a weird fuzzy feeling that simply won't leave Alex alone whenever he's around Henry.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Series: Beautiful Stranger (Band AU) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2135073
Comments: 28
Kudos: 107





	like fireflies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bleedingballroomfloor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleedingballroomfloor/gifts).



> Happy (belated) birthday to [bleedingballroomfloor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleedingballroomfloor/pseuds/bleedingballroomfloor) 🎂 Didn't see this one coming, huh? You're such a sweet and lovely person who writes the hottest sex scenes in the entire fandom and even though I'm not even remotely as talented as you, you're always so supportive of everything I put out. I hope you had a banging birthday. Enjoy! 🖤
> 
> I'm so invested in this story, it basically wrote itself lmao. Thank you all so much on the support on the first part and I'm very excited to keep working on this AU and keep expanding it.
> 
> In case you were wondering what kind of music Henry and his band make, well, imagine a mix of All Time Low, ONE OK ROCK, Fall Out Boy, and basically all the alt-rock you (me) were listening to in high school.
> 
> Thank you to Laura ([i_m_disappeared](https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_m_disappeared/works)) for beta reading, and thank you especially to Ori ([orionseye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orionseye/pseuds/orionseye)) for writing song lyrics for Henry to sing 🖤
> 
> Title: Tidal Waves by All Time Low  
> Playlist: [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/28otdii0iw8V9adpFo6ioh)  
> Part 1: [your mouth is a hurricane](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29001207)

They hook up again after a show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

After their first meeting _—_ or _meat_ ing like Alex has begun to call it _—_ he and Henry have texted a few times, always in each other DMs on Instagram and sending stupid videos back and forth on Snapchat. 

It doesn’t mean anything, it really doesn’t. 

Alex knows that they are something, something odd between barely strangers and fuck buddies. How else could he explain how Henry keeps sending him bathroom selfies and pictures of his dog while photographs of Henry going out and sucking face with nameless strangers are plastered all over countless news outlets?

Five days before the concert, Henry sends Alex another text and asks him if he’d like to get free tickets for their show on Saturday. 

At first, Alex considered not going. Last time he was staying with family in Austin but this time he would have to drive to Pittsburgh from New York on his own with his shabby Volkswagen beetle. It’s not like he doesn’t want to go. He wants to, very much so. 

Reasons to go to Pittsburgh: Obviously seeing Henry again and watching him play, which is technically the only argument that matters. He would get to see Henry naked again and would get railed inside of some bougie-ass hotel room. And saying no to a free concert ticket just feels like a crime in the first place.

 _I will be there_ , he texts Henry. Then follows it up with: _Can my sister and her girlfriend come too? To see the show, I mean. Not the sex afterwards. If you even want to have sex with me. Forget that I said that._

Alex almost regrets asking. Three free tickets do sound like a lot and he’s not even sure if Nora and June are free on Saturday but it’s worth a shot. Plus, it would make driving six hours across the country a lot more bearable.

 _Sure_ , Henry texts back, _be there at 4._

Convincing Nora and June to join him is a lot easier than Alex expected and so he finds himself crammed into his car with the two girls on a gloomy Saturday morning as they leave New York behind them and head to Pittsburgh.

Sure, he hasn’t told them the entire truth yet but do June and Nora really need to know that he is driving across states to get railed? Maybe, but he’s not ready to tell them. 

Three hours into their road trip, June has managed to redirect the conversation to Henry and the upcoming concert for the fourth time and Alex is tired of dodging questions or trying desperately to change the topic.

He is nervously drumming on the steering wheel to the sound of Fall Out Boy when June pulls out her phone and begins to scroll through Henry’s Instagram feed.

“I can’t believe a guy like him is single,” she says, curling one stray strand of dark brown hair around her finger. She pops her pink chewing gum bubble with a loud _plop_. “I know at least ten guys who would kill for a night with him.”

Alex swallows. His hands are sweaty and he quickly wipes them on his jeans, hoping that the others won’t notice. He’s never been good at being subtle about his emotions unless he really tried to but he’s feeling so giddy, it’s hard to keep focused.

“You still haven’t told us how the fuck you managed to get not one but _three_ tickets to a show that has been sold out for months,” Nora chimes in from the back seat. She rips open her second bag of chips and begins to slowly chew on a handful, her eyes fixed on Alex in the rearview mirror.

“Well,” Alex begins but immediately stops again. What is he even supposed to say? That he and Henry hooked up once and kept in touch? That they want to fuck a second time and that he has ditched all of his responsibilities to drive to another state? 

“Henry gave them to me,” he ends up blurting out and can feel the heat rise to his cheeks at the speed of light.

The car goes dead silent, even the music on the radio stops for a second and Alex simply wants to die.

“Are you serious?” June says. “ _Henry_? As in the drummer from the band that you have been obsessed with for years? The band that you ditched going to church with our Abuelita for?”

Alex nods his head lightly, lower lip nervously tucked between his teeth.

“Did you guys fuck?” Nora asks.

“Alex,” June fixes him with her kohl-lined eyes, “did you ditch going to church with our Abuelita to get _railed_ by a _rock star_?”

“Wha-, _no_!” Alex almost sounds offended. “And who says he was the one railing me, hm?” This really isn’t helping his cause, is it?

“Oh, you definitely fucked,” Nora says with a satisfied grin, stuffing another hand of chips into her mouth and leaning back into her seat.

“He invited me backstage and we somehow ended up in his hotel room, okay?” he says, ruffling a hand through his curls. “He’s a nice guy, the sex was amazing and I gave him my number. That’s it”

“You owe me twenty bucks, babe,” Nora says to June.

“Fucking hell.” June rubs a hand across her face, slouching back into her seat with a chuckle. “Honestly? I didn’t know you still had it in you,” she teases. “Even though the thought of you having sex like ever is absolutely repulsing, I’m a little bit proud. My itsy-bitsy baby brother hooking up with a rockstar.”

She retrieves her purse from the backpack that is wedged underneath her seat and hands Nora a twenty-dollar bill.

“I told you not to call me that,” Alex murmurs and turns the music up a little to drown out their laughs.

Alex has never been to Pittsburgh and even though he’d love to explore the city, they only stop by their hotel to change and then head directly to the venue.

The line outside the building wraps around the entire block but Alex leads them through a wall of security (“We’re with Henry”, he tells the bulky bouncer blocking their way. His name tag reads SHAAN in bold letters. “Name?” he replies peevishly.”) to the back entrance where they actually end up running into the band, standing outside and smoking, grey clouds in the gloomy air.

Henry is with them of course and when he spots Alex, a smile curls the corner of his lips in a way that makes Alex’s heart jump. He wants to press a kiss there so fucking badly. 

He wears black jeans and a generously torn Bowie shirt, tattooed skin peaking out just the tiniest bit. He has a red and black flannel wrapped around his waist and wears a set of fingerless gloves, long and delicate fingers holding a glowing cigarette. His nails are painted in alternating colours—maroon red and pitch black.

“I’ll take you inside,” Henry says, takes one last drag from his cigarette before he crushes the butt with the heavy sole of his boot. Alex shouldn’t find it attractive but he does. Fucking hell, he’s got it bad.

 _Just fuck buddies_ , he reminds himself and follows Henry, his sister, and Nora inside the building. The air is warm and heavy with the smell of sweat and cleaning supplies, a lingering note of cigarettes and alcohol.

Henry’s shoulder brushes against Alex’s as they walk, the touch surprisingly warm. He can smell Henry’s cologne—sandalwood, cardamom, earl grey, a hint of leather. Sharp and sweet. Alex almost catches himself stopping and leaning in just a little closer but June hooks her arm into his and pulls him away just at the right time.

“Let’s go and find our seats,” she says.

Henry nudges him. “We’ll see each other later,” he says but Alex doesn’t want to see Henry later, he wants to see him now as in drag him to the nearest storage room and suck him off before the show or at least pull him into a bruising kiss. A little preview of what could come.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” he says to June and Nora before he turns to Henry and, with his hand wrapped around his wrist, drags him away. He’s not even sure where he should be going—the men’s bathroom maybe? 

Henry beside him laughs. “Are you trying to kidnap me?”

Alex snorts and rolls his eyes. “You wish. No, I’m looking for somewhere to suck you off, you ass.”

“Oh,” Henry says, a grin spreading across his lips.

 _Yeah, oh, you dumbass_ , Alex thinks though he can’t help but think how fucking attractive Henry is grinning like that. He wants to punch him so badly. Preferably with his lips.

Alex opens the door to the first storage room he finds and pushes Henry inside after quickly looking around to make sure no one sees them and then follows inside, closing the door behind them.

The room is dimly lit and stuffed with brown boxes, lights, and a fog machine sitting in the middle of the room. It’s anything but comfortable but Alex can make it work.

He pulls Henry close by his hips, pressing their bodies flush and tilting his head up until he can press a bruising kiss to Henry’s lips.

Henry brings his hands up and cups Alex’s cheeks, his tongue lapping at Alex’s lips and when their tongues brush, it shoots a spark of arousal up Alex's spine. Fucking Henry and his fucking tongue piercing.

“This okay?” Alex asks in between kisses, remembering that asking for consent is fucking sexy and when Henry nods his head and moans quietly against his mouth, it’s all the validation Alex needs.

Henry presses him against the door, the coldness of the metal making Alex moan and fist his hands into the fabric of Henry’s shirt. Henry’s fingers curl into the hair in the nape of Alex’s neck and give it a tug until Alex tilts his head further back and gives Henry enough room to press hungry kisses to the soft skin there, tongue piercing dragging across his pulse point.

Alex falls to his knees and his hands fumble with Henry’s belt and the flannel around his waist for a moment before he finally manages to pull down the zipper and take Henry’s half-hard cock into his hand.

It’s just like he remembers it, hot and heavy with smooth skin.

“Still okay?” Alex asks.

“Yeah,” Henry huffs in response, desperation heavy in his voice.

The tip of Henry’s cock is already leaking precum and Alex gives the shaft one, two expertly strokes and then he stretches his tongue out, dragging it up Henry’s shaft and then slowly taking him into his mouth. Alex goes slow at first, one hand curled around the base of Henry’s cock and the other digging into the lean muscle on his thigh.

The position he’s crouching in is all but comfortable but Henry’s cock feels and tastes so good, Alex honestly doesn’t mind.

Henry’s hands return to Alex’s head, gloved fingers curling into his dark brown hair and fucking hell, Alex wants to suck his fingers too.

He pulls his head back, his right hand continues to jerk Henry off and with the left, he takes a hold of Henry’s hand and brings it down to his lips. Henry’s skin tastes clean like soap and faintly like salt. The leather of his gloves brushes against Alex’s lips and Alex moans, eyes fluttering shut.

Henry above him is panting hard and suddenly he’s crouching too, pulling his hand back and kissing Alex again, tasting himself unapologetically on Alex’s tongue. 

It’s so fucking good, Alex almost forgets that just outside this door, a thousand people wait for the show and the other band members might also be looking for Henry. His sister and Nora are also waiting but when Henry moans into his mouth, Alex happily forgets about it all.

Alex flicks his hand one, two more times and then Henry is coming with a stuttered moan, head buried in the crook of Alex’s neck. His breath is hot and Alex shivers, Henry’s cock still twitching in his hand.

“Bloody hell,” Henry says and presses a kiss to Alex’s jaw.

Alex hums in agreement and pulls out a tissue from his pocket and wipes his hand clean.

“Sorry about the mess,” Henry says with a chuckle and stands back up, extending his hand to pull Alex back onto his feet.

They’re both a little wobbly on their feet and Alex happily leans against Henry for a moment to catch both his balance and a breath before he takes a step back, the doorknob pressing into his back.

“I, er, should probably look for my sister,” Alex says, suddenly feeling awkward, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding to look at Henry as good as he can. Which isn’t easy at all because every second he doesn’t spend looking at Henry feels like a second wasted.

“See you later?” Henry asks.

Alex nods. “Yeah,” he croaks and stumbles out of the storage room, quickly catching his balance again and trying to get away from Henry as quickly and as unnoticed as possible.

He finds Nora and June in the crowd close by the stage. 

“Took you long enough,” Nora teases with a grin. She has her arms wrapped around June’s waist from behind, her chin resting on her shoulder. 

“You missed the supporting act,” June tells him. “They were pretty banging.”

“And their front singer was hot,” Nora adds, June hums and turns her head a little, pressing a kiss to the side of Nora’s face.

Alex only shrugs because quite frankly, he doesn’t care. He faintly remembers the distant drumming of music when he and Henry were inside the storage room but he hasn’t paid any attention to it.

A girl behind them begins to chat Nora and June up but Alex is too spaced out to take any part in the conversations. His thoughts wander back to Henry in the storage room, the blush on his cheeks, the feeling of his gloved hands in Alex’s hair and against his skin, the touch of his lips.

June’s elbow against his ribs pulls Alex back into reality. “You okay? The main act begins in five minutes and you haven’t said a word since you came back.” She has that worried look in her eyes that Alex hates because it makes him feel like an ass.

“I’m fine,” he says. “Just a little tired, sorry. Today already feels like an entire week.” He laughs softly and June nods, though she doesn’t look too convinced.

The lights get low at first before they flicker in an array of colours—bright reds and yellows, blues and greens. It’s just what Alex needs to fully anchor him in reality again when the band comes out on stage. Alex, of course, only has eyes for Henry and watches as he jogs on stage and takes his seat behind the drums.

The drums sit on top of a slightly elevated podium and Alex is fucking thankful for it because he can see Henry scanning the crowd and when Henry finds him and waves, the girl behind Alex almost faints.

“He looked at me!” she excitedly tells her friend and Alex isn’t an insensible ass so he keeps his mouth shut. Apparently, Henry being gay doesn’t stop girls from thirsting over him. Well, Alex is the last to blame them after all he’s the one who just sucked Henry off moments before the show because he was so desperate for it.

Henry laughs and Alex shrugs, mouthing “you look hot” and winking. Henry looks a little confused but gives him a thumbs-up. 

The show is, of course, fucking amazing and seeing Henry in his element is, well, it’s incredibly hot but it also sends Alex’s stomach fluttering which is definitely concerning.

Alex tries his best to not stare at Henry the entire time but it’s almost impossible. He has one arm wrapped around Nora and sings along with her, loud and definitely not on key but he couldn’t care less. It almost has something therapeutic to it.

When the concert ends, Alex says his goodbyes to Nora and June, pushing his way through the crowd away from the exit and towards Henry. It’s like he’s being pulled by an invisible string and his legs don’t stop until he sees Henry and awkwardly waves at him.

The way from the venue to the hotel is a whirlwind of loud voices, cigarette smoke, secret touches in the back of the car, and desperate attempts at unlocking the hotel room door with one smooth swipe of the key card.

The inside of the room isn’t too different from the one in Austin, not that Alex has much time to look around because Henry is pinning him against the door.

“This feels familiar,” Alex jokes and Henry just rolls his eyes before pressing his lips against Alex’s, pressing his body against his until there is no space left between them.

They blindly stumble across the room, taking down the umbrella stand by the door and one of the framed pictures on the wall in the process but Alex couldn’t care less because Henry is curling a gloved hand into his hair again and gives it a light tug.

The leather is warm and smooth against Alex’s scalp and he dips his head slightly to the side, granting Henry full access to his neck.

Henry’s lips are soft against Alex’s skin, teeth nibbling and biting their way down the side of his neck and down to his collarbone.

Their jackets—Henry wears a black leather jacket and it drives Alex absolutely insane—and shoes come off quickly, followed by shirts and jeans. They are both desperate and Alex doesn’t mind it the tiniest bit. He needs Henry and he needs him now.

Alex has Henry pinned down on the soft mattress by his wrists, legs bracketing Henry’s hips. They’re both a little out of breath, cheeks faintly glowing red.

Henry still wears his gloves and Alex trails his hands a little further up until he slides his hands into Henry’s, the leather smooth between their palms.

“Fucking hell,” he groans, burying his head in the crook of Henry’s neck. 

The smell of his cologne is very heavy here, mixed with the faint smell of sweat and cigarette smoke, and Alex finds himself taking in one, two deep breaths before he kisses his way up over Henry’s neck and jaw to his mouth.

Henry is smiling into the kiss and it makes Alex’s chest twist and he’s not sure what it means so he just keeps kissing Henry, grinding his hips down against Henry’s unfortunately still clothed cock. 

“I have a theory,” Henry mumbles with a sheepish grin when he frees his right hand from Alex’s and brings it up to his face, cupping Alex’s cheek and brushing his smooth thumb across the hot skin.

“Do tell me,” Alex says, pressing his face more into Henry’s palm. Leather on smooth skin, Henry’s long and elegant fingers, painted fingernails. Alex didn’t know he had a thing for any of it but he apparently does now.

They’re objectively good things and not because they belong to Henry, of course not. That would be ridiculous. 

Henry is sitting up now, one arm wrapped around Alex’s waist, the other travelling from his cheek into the nape of his neck from where he pulls Alex into a kiss, hungry and demanding.

“If I were to, let’s say, wrap my hand around your cock, the leather of my glove smooth against you, would you like that?” Henry’s voice is sticky and sweet.

Alex grinds his hips down with a whimper as good as he can and nods, hands resting on Henry’s chest until _oh_. He brushes his hands further down and across Henry’s nipples, suddenly met with cold metal. He breaks the kiss and glimpses down.

Alex groans loudly and bites his lip in a desperate attempt to keep his voice quiet. Henry has his fucking nipples pierced and Alex can’t believe he hasn’t noticed them before because he wants to suck and kiss on them _very_ badly right now.

“I had no idea,” Henry continues, “how dirty you are.”

“‘m not dirty,” Alex slurs and presses a kiss between Henry’s eyebrows, “I took a shower this morning.”

Henry laughs and Alex can’t help but laugh too when Henry is suddenly jolting him up and dropping him, his back hitting the mattress and head coming dangerously close to bashing against the headboard. 

“I like it when you run your mouth,” Henry says against Alex’s skin, one hand braced on the mattress next to Alex’s head, the other travelling down his chest and torso, fingers trailing along the elastic waistband of his boxers.

Alex swallows and blankly stares up at Henry. 

The way Henry is looking down at him is intense and he fears for a moment he might lose himself in them. He can’t recall the last time someone has looked at him like that, let alone someone of the same league as Henry.

Sure, he hooked up with a high-ranking politician once but he wasn’t nearly as hot as Henry or as good in bed. It truly was an experience.

“Alex? Are you okay?” Henry asks and gently brushes a stray curl out of Alex’s face. It almost immediately bounces back.

Alex nods his head and leans up a little until he can press his lips against Henry's again. “But I need you to fucking start touching me,” he whispers and grinds his hips up a little, arms wrapped around Henry’s neck.

Henry happily complies and begins to peel Alex’s boxers off, his lips leaving a trail of kisses down Alex’s chest and torso and thighs until he can pull the boxers off completely and drops them to the floor, crawling back onto Alex.

Alex’s cock is so hard, it’s almost painful and when Henry touches him, he suddenly knows what heaven must feel like. His head is comfortably fuzzy and when Henry twists his wrist, Alex moans and blindly reaches down until his fingers brush across the hard and heavy outline of Henry’s cock.

He pulls Henry’s boxers down just a little to let his cock spring free and quickly wraps his fingers around the tip. The position is everything but comfortable or sexy but Alex couldn’t care less because Henry is moaning into his ear, cock twitching in Alex’s hand.

 _Oh god_ , Alex thinks _, never stop._

He also wants to say it out loud but the words get caught in the back of his throat and instead come out in a strangled moan but it seemingly brings the message across because Henry tightens his hand just the right amount.

The leather of the glove is smooth and easily glides up and down Alex’s shaft, just the right amount of added friction. 

Alex glances down between them, breathing heavily. 

He feels a little dizzy when he pulls his hand back and crawls out from under Henry and over to the nightstand. He yanks open the top drawer and rummages through its contents until he finds a bottle of lube and a condom. He tosses the latter on the bed and hands the other to Henry.

“I need your fingers in me, now,” he says, voice hoarse and throat dry. “Please,” he then adds quieter.

Henry smirks, the corner of his lip curling attractively upward and Alex quickly leans forward and presses a kiss there, almost losing his balance in the process.

“You,” Henry whispers, “are one of the most interesting people I have ever met.”

Alex blushes a little, gazing up at Henry. 

_It’s just sex_ , he reminds himself, _Henry could never fall for someone like you_. Not that he is falling for Henry or anything. Definitely not happening.

Henry pulls him into a proper kiss and uncaps the lube in the process, reaching around Alex with two slick fingers and carefully brushing them across his hole. The first contact is a little odd, it always is, but then Henry eases the first finger inside and Alex moans quietly against Henry’s lips.

They fall into a rhythm quickly. Henry keeps adding and curling his fingers, and Alex fucks himself onto them. Henry’s other hand holds tightly onto Alex’s hip and keeps him steady, fingers digging into the soft, brown skin. 

Henry still wears his gloves and Alex’s face runs hot just thinking about how it must look, the black of the leather against his dark skin, Henry’s pale fingers pushing in and out of him.

When Alex feels more than ready, Henry rips open the condom and rolls it on. He props himself up against the headboard and guides Alex’s hips until his cock is teasing at his hole. “Ready?” he asks.

Alex nods and places his hands on Henry’s broad shoulders, slowly sinking down. He takes his time, no matter how desperately he needs Henry’s cock buried deep inside of him. 

Henry nips at his chin and jaw, thumbs drawing small and soothing circles across Alex’s hot skin. “I could never get tired of seeing you on top of me,” Henry whispers, eyes lazily fixed on Alex.

It knocks all the air out of Alex’s lungs, a strangled moan escaping his lips before he can stop it.

Once fully seated, Alex begins to slowly rock his hips back and forth, small sounds unapologetically falling from his lips. Henry’s cock is brushing past his prostate with every move and Henry sneaks one hand between them, fingers curling around Alex’s shaft.

Alex picks up the speed of his hips and the sound of skin slapping against skin fills the room and makes his head grow even fuzzier. He’s not sure how long he can last, already feeling his orgasm building up, a familiar tightness in his gut and heat creeping under his skin.

“I’m not gonna last much longer,” he warns Henry, breathing heavily. It’s simply been too long since Austin and between exams and being a dutiful brother and son, Alex simply doesn’t have the time to jerk off.

Henry hums and slows down the movement of Alex’s hips until he’s only lightly rocking back and forth. “Look at you,” he murmurs, “taking my cock so well. Have I ever told you that? How well you take me, how good you let me fuck you? Oh, _love,_ you have no idea what you do to me.”

Alex whimpers at the pet name, his forehead pressed against Henry’s. 

The knot inside his gut loosens a little and after a moment, Henry moves his hands to the curve of Alex’s ass and then carefully moves forward until Alex is laying on his back, legs in the air.

Alex wraps his arms around Henry’s neck and pulls him into a kiss, his tongue slipping into Henry’s mouth, both of them moaning.

Henry begins fucking Alex slow at first, making sure to hit his prostate with every thrust before he picks up the pace. He braces himself with one hand on the mattress, the other curled around Alex’s cock and jerking him off.

Alex turns his head a little and presses a kiss to the dagger tattoo on Henry’s wrist, breathing in the scent that lingers on his skin.

It doesn’t take either of them very long to be on the verge of orgasm again.

Alex has his arms still wrapped tightly around Henry’s neck with his head buried right where his neck and shoulder meet, kissing and biting, trying desperately to keep his voice down. His heels dig into Henry’s back, urging him to go faster, to go harder.

When he tips over the edge, Alex quietly calls out Henry’s name and presses a hungry kiss to his lips. He comes between their bodies and he can feel Henry twitching inside of him and he too is coming, chuckling softly as he does. It’s fucking adorable.

They continue to make out lazily for a minute, enjoying the sticky-sweet afterglow of their orgasms before Henry gets up and returns from the bathroom with a wet towel and hands it to Alex. They don’t talk but Alex doesn’t feel the need to.

Henry returns to bed and Alex lazily throws his arm across Henry’s tattooed torso, head resting against his chest. He listens to the steady beating of Henry’s heart, his eyelids heavy and vision blurry. 

He would like to fall asleep curled into Henry’s side but he’s afraid that if he closes his eyes for more than a second, Henry will be up and gone before dawn, and Alex would be the one waking up alone this time.

He forces himself to keep his eyes open and angles his head up a little until he can look at Henry’s face.

He looks relaxed, his eyes a warm blue, long lashes casting soft shadows across his cheekbones, smiling softly. Henry turns his head until he can press a kiss to Alex’s forehead. “Can I show you something?” he asks without moving his head, his breath warm on Alex’s skin.

Alex hums and nods his head though he’s not quite sure what Henry could possibly show him.

Henry slides out of bed and walks over to where a guitar leans against the small desk by the window. He picks it up and returns, retrieving a pick from his nightstand and sitting down beside Alex. 

“You can play guitar?” Alex asks.

“Yeah, I’m not too good at it but it’s very helpful when I’m working on new songs,” Henry replies with a smile and Alex finds himself overwhelmed by the softness of Henry’s smile and the fondness of his eyes. “I’ve started writing this song and it’s more melody than anything but I got a few lines down so.”

He begins to play, soft melodies filling the otherwise quiet hotel room. Henry hums quietly along at first before he begins to sing.

“ _Bite my lip, and make it swollen.”_

Alex inches a little closer, head propped up on a pillow, laying comfortably on his side.

“ _It’s my common sense you’ve stolen._ ”

Alex has heard Henry sing before countless times but he has never truly paid attention to just how perfect his voice is. It’s soft and a little raspy, curling around words in ways that make Alex’s chest light up. 

_“Not my keys, not my change._ ”

Henry has his eyes half-closed, his sandy blonde hair is attractively tousled, and a stray curl hangs into his face, brushing across the small cut in his eyebrow. He looks so happy and at peace.

“ _T_ _hough I wouldn’t mind if you took those anyways.“_

Alex wishes he could hold time still and continue to live in this very moment—Alex under the covers and Henry beside him, playing the guitar and singing to him.

“Do you always serenade your hookups with your voice?” Alex teases. He’s not entirely sure what prompted him to ask a question like that but he immediately regrets it when the serene expression on Henry’s face vanishes as quickly as it came.

“They usually don’t stay long enough,” Henry replies and gets up, returning the guitar to its place by the window. “It’s getting late,” he then says matter of factly, arms crossed. His expression is unreadable, hidden behind the dimmed light of the hotel room.

Alex takes that as his clue to gather his stuff and leave before he overstays his welcome. If he hasn’t already done that. He picks up his boxers from the floor and quickly pulls them on, followed by his shirt, jeans and boots.

“Should I call you a cab?” Henry asks from where he is leaning against the window.

Alex puts on his jacket and shakes his head. “My hotel is a block away but thank you.” It’s a blatant lie, his hotel is a lot farther away than that but he really doesn’t want to cause Henry any more trouble. Plus, he can’t afford a cab either since he spent way too much on gas for his car and two last-minute hotel rooms for him, Nora, and June.

He hovers in the middle of the room for a moment, once again faced with the awkward decision of how to leave. Kiss Henry goodbye? Say nothing and just leave?

“I’ll get going then,” is what he ends up saying and before Henry can even open his mouth, Alex turns on his heels and is out of the door.

The weather outside is horrendous, heavy rain pours down onto the pavement but Alex doesn’t even care. His chest feels heavy and he can’t help but feel like a complete idiot. How could he ever think that he and Henry had something special?

But even out here in the rain, Alex can’t stop thinking about Henry’s smile and the buzzing in his chest that lights up his entire body like fireflies.

He pulls out his phone and begins typing. He’s not exactly sure what he’s even trying to say but he feels the need to say at least something. He always does.

 _I’m sorry_ , he texts Henry. _I didn’t mean to offend or hurt you and I’m deeply sorry if I did. If you don’t want to talk to me after this, that’s fine and I won’t bother you anymore. Thank you, for everything. I’m not sure what you ever saw in me but I appreciate the time we spend together. I’ll shut up now. Enjoy the rest of your night. Goodbye, Henry._

 _Don’t be an idiot and come back inside_ , Henry texts back. _You’ll catch a cold if you continue to stand outside in the rain like that._

Alex really would like to say that he is stronger than this. He should turn away completely and leave. He’s already too attached to Henry for his own good but even if he fears getting hurt, what if it does end up working out?

Henry is a muscular, heavily tattooed, incredibly good-looking, drum-playing, sex god, and Alex is the stupid little very ordinary mortal but he has always liked to challenge the odds.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos are as always very much appreciated 🖤
> 
> Come and join the [RWRB discord server](https://discord.gg/DVqeKTtxqK) (open to anyone)!


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